Israel agrees to ceasefire in Gaza as Trump announces 'withdrawal line' in peace plan

President Donald Trump has revealed that Israel is set to commence the first phase of withdrawal as part of a peace plan aimed at resolving the enduringconflict in Gaza.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump penned: "After negotiations, Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas. When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective, the Hostages and Prisoner Exchange will begin, and we will create the conditions for the next phase of withdrawal, which will bring us close to the end of this 3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, STAY TUNED!".

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his optimism that the hostages would be freed from Gaza "in the coming days."

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Late on Saturday evening, Netanyahu released a brief statement announcing he had sent a delegation to Egypt "to finalise technical details," adding that "our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days."

However, Netanyahu suggested there wouldn't be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza - a condition Hamas has long demanded for a ceasefire, according to reports from the Express US, reports the Mirror US.

Netanyahu declared that Israel's military would continue to hold territories it controls in Gaza, and that Hamas would be disarmed in the plan's second phase, either diplomatically or "or through a military path by us."

This news broke just hours after Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza strip, resulting in at least 22 fatalities. The strike came hot on the heels of President Trump's order to halt the bombardment, with him declaring that Hamas was "ready for a lasting PEACE" and insisting that Israel "must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza."

Hamas has pledged to release all surviving Israeli captives, whether alive or dead, and demonstrated a willingness to discuss President Trump's 20-point peace proposal through intermediaries.

The 20-point proposal stipulates the release of the remaining 48 captives in Gaza within three days.

This Tuesday marks two years since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, with terror attacks orchestrated by Hamas at a music festival, resulting in the murder of 1,200 people and the capture of 251.